Evaluating complementaries among urban water, energy, infrastructure, and social Sustainable Development Goals in China.

Urban areas' performance in water, energy, infrastructure, and socio-economic sectors is intertwined and measurable through Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6-13. Effective synergy among these is critical for sustainability. This study constructs an indicator framework that reflects progress towards these urban SDGs in China. Findings indicate underperformance in SDGs 8-11, suggesting the need for transformative actions. Through network analysis, the research reveals complementarities among these SDGs. Notably, the SDG space divides into socio-economic and ecological clusters, with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) central to both. Additionally, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) act as bridges, while greater synergies exist between SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). An in-depth view at the indicator-level shows a core-periphery structure, emphasizing indicators like SDG 6.2 (Wastewater Treatment Rate) and SDG 6.6 (Recycled Water Production Capacity per capita) as pivotal. This study confirms the urban SDG space's stability and predictiveness, underscoring its value in steering well-aligned policy decisions for sustainable growth.

A roadmap to knowledge-based maritime spatial planning.

The Cells of Ecosystem Functioning are natural units of management and conservation, allowing for an ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning based on an accurate knowledge of marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning which, however, is presently insufficient and fragmentary. A five-step roadmap to fill current knowledge gaps and make ecosystem-based marine sustainability possible is proposed: Step 1: make the inventory of biodiversity. Step 2: unveil the roles of species. Step 3: understand the ecological relationships that link species with each other and with the physical environment. Step 4: frame marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a five dimensional spatial and temporal context (the Cells of Ecosystem Functioning). Step 5: plan our activities so as to preserve a healthy state of ecosystems. EU legislation has drawn a careful map to guide us along this road, with a series of directives that, if successfully enforced, will be conducive to knowledge-based marine sustainability.

[Review and prospects of pesticide use and residues in cultivation of medicinal and food homologous substances].

As people's living standards and awareness of health care are increasing in recent years, the demand for the medicinal and food homologous substances is rising. Promoting the healthy development of this industry to meet people's growing demand and popularizing the TCM concept of preventive treatment of diseases are essential for building a healthy China. The abuse of pesticides by some growers in the one-sided pursuit of economic benefits causes serious pesticide residue, which affects the safety and effectiveness of the medicinal and food homologous substances. Since pesticide residues has received increasing attention, the reasonable control of pesticide residues becomes an important part of the research on these herbs, which, however, is rarely studied. This paper reviewed the publications involving pesticide residues in the cultivation of medicinal and food homologous substances that were published in the last two decades, and put forward the problems faced by the cultivation. According to the current situation of this industry, this paper proposed the management suggestions for the control of pesticide residues in the cultivation. This review will provide the government with data and references for formulating relevant policies and standards to promote the high-quality development of the industry of medicinal and food homologous substances and guarantee the development of TCM and the building of a healthy China.

E-participation in policy-making for health: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: For the general public, e-participation represents a potential solution to the challenges associated with in-person participation in health policy-making processes. By fostering democratic engagement, e-participation can enhance civic legitimacy and trust in public institutions. However, despite its importance, there is currently a gap in the literature regarding a comprehensive synthesis of studies on various aspects of e-participation in the health policy domain. These aspects include levels of participation, underlying mechanisms, barriers, facilitators, values and outcomes. To address this gap, our proposed scoping review aims to systematically investigate and classify the available literature related to e-participation in policy-making for health. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will employ the Population, Concept and Context framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Our population of interest will consist of participants involved in policy-making for health, including both government organisers of e-participation and participating citizens (the governed). To identify relevant studies, we will systematically search databases such as CINAHL (EBSCO), Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest), Scopus (Elsevier), EMBASE (Elsevier), The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Campbell Collaboration, JBI Evidence Synthesis and PubMed using a predefined search strategy. Two independent reviewers will conduct a three-tiered screening process for identified articles, with a third reviewer resolving any discrepancies. Data extraction will follow a predefined yet flexible form. The results will be summarised in a narrative format, presented either in tabular or diagrammatic form. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The National Institute of Health Research of the Islamic Republic of Iran's ethics committee has approved this review study. Our findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and targeted knowledge-sharing sessions with relevant stakeholders.

The economic burden of prostate cancer in Iran: a cross-sectional cost-of-illness study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the economic burden of prostate cancer in Iran by analyzing direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs. We conducted a cross-sectional cost-of-illness study in Khorramabad, located in western Iran, during 2023, using a prevalence-based, bottom-up approach. Data were collected from 285 prostate cancer patients using questionnaires, interviews, and patient records. RESULTS: Our study estimated the economic burden of prostate cancer at $744,990. Direct medical costs accounted for 63.50% of this, totaling $153,330, with therapy being the largest component. Direct non-medical costs were $62,130, and indirect costs from productivity losses were $209,760. The calculated overall cost per patient was $2,614.88. Extrapolating from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data, which reported approximately 83,000 prostate cancer patients in Iran, the national economic burden is estimated at $217,034,040. This substantial burden highlights the need for improved insurance coverage and early detection. The findings suggest that policymakers and healthcare providers in Iran should develop standardized cost analysis methods and enhance financial protection to alleviate economic strain and improve healthcare outcomes and sustainability.

A historical perspective of malaria policy and control in India.

Malaria is a major public health problem in India, with ∼0.18 million cases reported in 2022 and 1,309 million population living at risk of infection. The Indian government has introduced various intervention strategies to reduce and manage the number of outbreaks with proper mechanisms. In this policy paper, we have extensively reviewed these intervention strategies using a quantitative approach. The success of the Urban Malaria Scheme, focusing on the 131 urban regions distributed across the country, along with the Intensified Malaria Control Project implemented in the seven hotspots, has been highlighted. The recently formulated National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India has resulted in declining malaria cases in hotspots like Odisha. However, states like West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Tripura have emerged as new hotspots in recent years. A systematic platform for data dissemination and active public-private partnership will expedite malaria elimination in India.

Evolution of land system reforms in China: Dynamics of stakeholders and policy transitions toward sustainable farmland use (2004-2019).

China's central government has prioritized land system reforms in rural parts of the country in the past two decades. The transformation of property rights in lands was a significant step for China to pursue the sustainability of farms and permanent food security. The evolution of land system reforms in China involved constant interplay between stakeholders and policy content in terms of policy objectives and instruments, which exhibited various dynamics in different periods. This study adopted a content analysis method to systematically identify the active, passive, and supportive roles of all kinds of stakeholders as well as policy objectives and instruments in the transitional processes of land system reforms in China. We in sum collected 111 policy texts as samples and modeled the relationships of policy keywords. We found Peasants' Households and New Agricultural Business Entities were the most active stakeholders in different periods. Policy objectives are inclined to the stability of legal rights among stakeholders and the scale production of lands, while policy instruments intensively focused on legal regulations with little attention on financial instruments and human resources. We generated two further policy implications, the protection for the exploitation of lands and the involvement of actual operators, based on our findings.

A survey of nutritional education within the Holiday Activities and Food programme across England.

Background: Nutritional education is a mandatory component of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme in England, yet there is a paucity of literature exploring how this component is delivered. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the delivery, content, dose and perceived impacts of nutritional education, at the HAF club level, across England. Methods: A self-completion, cross-sectional online survey design was adopted. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to collect data from HAF club leads (n = 147) from across England. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and frequencies. Findings: Face-to-face nutritional education was the most common mode of delivery, with sessions mostly comprising of discussing food and nutrition. However, whilst the majority of clubs delivered the required number of nutritional education sessions per week, according to the Department for Education's guidelines, the time spent delivering individual nutritional education activities may not be sufficient to drive change in related skills and behaviours. Moreover, many clubs did not adopt a whole-family approach, and some did not deliver any nutritional education activities at all, which club leads attributed to a lack of material resources and ambiguity in the national HAF guidance. Conclusion: Nutritional education is delivered in a variety of ways across HAF clubs, based upon available local assets, resources and venues. Policy and practice recommendations include increased HAF funding to support clubs that lack material resources, national training in nutritional education, and evidence-informed guidance and practice.

Seasonal influenza vaccination: A global review of national policies in 194 WHO member states in 2022.

INTRODUCTION: Seasonal influenza vaccination prevents severe influenza disease and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages all countries to consider annual seasonal influenza vaccination for health workers, people with chronic conditions, older adults, pregnant women and other high-risk populations as relevant for their national context. This paper provides a global update on the status of countries' influenza vaccination policies and programmes as of December 2022. METHODS: We analysed the WHO-UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) Joint Reporting Form on Immunization's influenza vaccine-related data. We used STATA 17 to conduct descriptive analyses of reported seasonal influenza vaccine availability and seasonal influenza vaccination policies globally. RESULTS: Seasonal influenza vaccine doses were available in 74 % of WHO Member States (143/194) in 2022. Fewer countries, 66 % of WHO Member States (128/194), had a seasonal influenza vaccination policy, of which 68 countries reported having a policy for the public sector, 53 for the public and private sectors, two for the private sector only, and five did not report the sector. More than half of WHO Member States (100 countries) recommend annual seasonal influenza vaccination for all four of the WHO recommended priority groups. Influenza vaccination coverage data were reported by 64 countries; globally the median coverage rates varied by group: 37 % for pregnant women, 55 % for older adults and 62 % for health workers. DISCUSSION: The number of countries using seasonal influenza vaccines has grown over time, but there is still opportunity for continued development and strengthening of national programmes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To support countries, WHO is providing technical guidance and resources to enable better reporting of influenza vaccination data. More complete and higher quality data will help countries and global health stakeholders to support national decision-making and programme strengthening. Where available, WHO encourages countries to co-administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccination to increase programmatic efficiency and coverage of both vaccines among recommended groups.

Does the pilot trading of carbon emission rights cause domestic or international pollution transfer?

The implementation of a carbon emission trading pilot policy has a positive impact on sustainable development but may lead to pollution transfer by enterprises, thereby affecting sustainability. In this study, based on the panel data of Chinese-listed companies from 2007 to 2017, the carbon emission trading pilot policy was treated as a quasi-natural experiment and the Difference-in-Differences model was used to analyze whether these companies engaged in pollution transfer under the policy shock. The results indicated: first, carbon emission trading pilots lead to pollution transfer within mainland China but not across international borders; second, the power and aviation industries exhibited significant pollution transfer phenomena, and the policy also encouraged pollution transfer by non-green transformation enterprises; third, regional heterogeneity further showed that the central region showed no signs of pollution transfer and instead experienced pollution inflow, while the eastern region exhibited significant pollution transfer. Therefore, in designing policy, we should fully consider the phenomenon of enterprise pollution transfer, promote technological innovation, and ensure that carbon emission trading policies achieve emission reduction goals and promote sustainable development.

Funding priorities and health outcomes in Danish medical research.

External research funding is an essential component of the infrastructure of modern, academic research. Priorities in funding decisions drive what knowledge is generated, and how scientists' careers are shaped. For health research, it can ultimately have implications for health outcomes. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how funding information can be used to track priorities in health research, linking them to disease burdens and research outputs. Furthermore, funding concentrations are analysed from both researcher and disease perspectives, to estimate the influence of personal Matthew-effects on the distribution of health research funding. Denmark is used as the case, including funding information from all major public and private research foundations in the period 2004-2016. Grant information is linked to research outputs and disability-adjusted life-years (DALY rates), for 34,160 publications linked to 2630 grants, receiving DKK 4.8 billion in funding. Data show poor correlation between funding priorities, research activity and disease burdens, with several diseases receiving disproportionate amounts of funding. A research opportunity index is calculated to identify diseases with the highest potential for future investments from a burden-centred point of view. Funding is highly concentrated, both on people and on specific diseases. High funding concentrations on researchers can be a driving factor behind the observed funding-to-burden imbalances, and may risk knowledge stagnation through monopolisation of the market place of ideas. Results indicate that funders of clinical and translational research, as well as some types of biomedical research, need to supplement traditional considerations of scientific excellence with measures of societal challenges and relevance.

International policies guiding the selection, analysis, and clinical management of secondary findings from genomic sequencing: A systematic review.

Secondary findings (SFs) from genomic sequencing can have significant impacts on patient health, yet existing practices guiding their clinical investigation are inconsistent. We systematically reviewed existing SFs policies to identify variations and gaps in guidance. We cataloged and appraised international policies from academic databases (n = 5, inception-02/2022) and international human genetic societies (n = 64; inception-05/2022), across the continuum of SFs selection, analysis, and clinical management. We assessed quality using AGREE-II and interpreted results using qualitative description. Of the 63 SFs policies identified, most pertained to clinical management of SFs (98%; n = 62; primarily consent and disclosure), some guided SFs analysis (60%; n = 38), while fewer mentioned SFs selection (48%; n = 30). Overall, policies recommend (1) identifying clinically actionable, pathogenic variants with high positive predictive values for disease (selection), (2) bioinformatically filtering variants using evidence-informed gene lists (analysis), and (3) discussing with affected individuals the SFs identified, their penetrance, expressivity, medical implications, and management (clinical management). Best practices for SFs variant analysis, clinical validation, and follow-up (i.e., surveillance, treatment, etc.) were minimally described. Upon quality assessment, policies were highly rated for scope and clarity (median score, 69) but were limited by their rigor and applicability (median scores, 27 and 25). Our review represents a comprehensive international synthesis of policy guiding SFs across the continuum of selection, analysis, and clinical management. Our synthesis will help providers navigate critical decision points in SFs investigation, although significant work is needed to address gaps in SFs analysis, clinical validation, and follow-up processes and to support evidence-based practice.

Assessing the deterrent effects of ignition interlock devices: Deterrent effects of ignition interlock devices.

INTRODUCTION: Ignition interlock devices installed after conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) have been shown to reduce subsequent DUI arrests (specific deterrence). However, there is little evidence on how interlock-device penalties might affect general deterrence, that is, deterring people from driving after consuming alcohol prior to a DUI conviction. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was conducted and data were analyzed in 2023 with 583 U.S.-based adults who consume alcohol at least once in the past week to assess the deterrent effects of five different penalties (fine, jail time, interlock device, license suspension, alcohol treatment) for alcohol-impaired driving under randomized sequential scenarios of high (20% chance of being caught) and low (1%) police enforcement. Participants resided in 46 states. RESULTS: Deterrent effects of an interlock penalty, operationalized as having to install an interlock device for one year, are large and on par with a twentyfold increase in police enforcement activity (from 1% chance of being caught to 20%), or a $2,000 increase in the DUI fine under the status quo enforcement regime. On average, a 1-year interlock penalty had the same deterrent effect as a 10-day increase in jail time. CONCLUSIONS: Wider use of interlock devices as a DUI penalty could have large deterrent effects, independent of their ability to physically prevent the motor vehicle of an intoxicated driver from starting. The deterrent effect documented here adds to evidence on interlock devices' overall effectiveness as well as their potential to shift DUI penalties away from criminalization (jail time) and towards immobilization and rehabilitation.

When time is of the essence: ethical reconsideration of XAI in time-sensitive environments.

The objective of explainable artificial intelligence systems designed for clinical decision support (XAI-CDSS) is to enhance physicians' diagnostic performance, confidence and trust through the implementation of interpretable methods, thus providing for a superior epistemic positioning, a robust foundation for critical reflection and trustworthiness in times of heightened technological dependence. However, recent studies have revealed shortcomings in achieving these goals, questioning the widespread endorsement of XAI by medical professionals, ethicists and policy-makers alike. Based on a surgical use case, this article challenges generalising calls for XAI-CDSS and emphasises the significance of time-sensitive clinical environments which frequently preclude adequate consideration of system explanations. Therefore, XAI-CDSS may not be able to meet expectations of augmenting clinical decision-making in specific circumstances where time is of the essence. This article, by employing a principled ethical balancing methodology, highlights several fallacies associated with XAI deployment in time-sensitive clinical situations and recommends XAI endorsement only where scientific evidence or stakeholder assessments do not contradict such deployment in specific target settings.